Many concerned members of our community have wanted to make sure our bees will be okay during this hurricane season here in Florida and we love you for it! Our ladies are expected to weather the storm just fine. We wanted to share some tips for keeping your own backyard hives safe. 

Check out some of our tips and tricks below. Let us know if you have any other suggestions! 

1) Flooding is a major concern in low lying areas. If you can move your hives to a little bit of higher ground, do! 

2) Secure the tops of your hives. Bees ramp up propolis production during this time of year, which seals open spaces in the hives - like the crack between the hive and lid. However, we like to give them just a little bit of extra help by weighting the hives down or strapping down the tops of the hive with ratchet straps. 

3) Don't crack the tops of your hives right before the hurricane, we want a good seal on the lid. Plus, you don't want to disturb them before the storm. 

4) Move hives away from areas that look like they have heavy branches that are likely to snap, falling and crushing your hives.  

5) If possible, tilt your hives to allow some water to run out of the hive. If you are very concerned about flooding you can leave a small hole towards the top of the hive so that your bees can escape if the water level remains high for an extended period of time. 

While nothing is full-proof, these simple steps can assist you in protecting your ladies! For more resources on this, and other beekeeping needs, check out the UF Bee Lab's blog for more info. Good luck and stay safe!